Latest Technologies
Refinery-grade crude oils can be made from biogenic waste using this technology
A pre-commercial plant is now providing operational data for eventual scaleup and industrial integration of a technology that generates refinery-grade crude oils from biogenic waste, such as agricultural and forestry waste and sewage sludge. The 12-ton/d demonstration plant (photo), built…
New electrochemical route to critical chemicals is scaling up with significant industrial support
A new electrochemical process developed by French-American startup firm Dioxycle (Paris, France; Menlo Park, Calif.; www.dioxycle.com) produces critical chemicals from industrial by-products and electricity, independent from fossil-fuel imports. Recently, the company announced the deployment of their platform for the conversion…
Printable gel electrolytes support bespoke battery architectures
Unlike conventional liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries, gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are immobilized within a polymer network, which reduces leakage risks, thereby improving mechanical and thermal stability. However, current methods for GPE fabrication result only in two-dimensional planar films,…
Eco-friendly method for making MOF-encapsulated enzymes expands possibilities
Enzyme-based biocatalysts are a key aspect of industrial green-chemistry initiatives, but they often don’t have the required stability to perform in industrial settings. A strategy for allowing enzymes to function longer and under harsher conditions has been to encapsulate them…
Electro-extraction technique unlocks copper in waste streams
Initiatives to increase electrification and build digital infrastructure for artificial intelligence are among the trends increasing demand for copper (and other critical materials), prompting efforts to identify new sources of the metal. The startup company SiTration (Watertown, Mass.; www.sitration.com), a…
A more straightforward condensation route from bioethanol to linear alcohols
Linear alcohols, such as butanol, hexanol and octanol are widely used in coatings, adhesives, surfactants, detergents, lubricants, cosmetics and many other products, as well as fuels. Typical industrial methods for producing these alcohols rely on fossil resources and low-selectivity mechanisms…
Alkaline thermal process generates hydrogen fuel from mixed plastic waste
A team of researchers from the Ewha Women’s University (Seoul, South Korea; www.ewha.ac.kr) and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA; www.ucla.edu) have taken a step toward addressing one of the main challenges in plastics recycling — economically processing…
Advancing Electrical-System Reliability in the Chemical Process Industries
From Reactive to Resilient Electrical infrastructure has quietly become one of the highest-stakes reliability challenges facing chemical process industries today — and the consequences of getting it wrong extend well beyond equipment downtime. This white paper examines how aging assets,…
Rethinking Electrical-Distribution- System Reliability in the CPI Facilities
The Electrical System Problem CPI Facilities Can No Longer Ignore Electrical distribution systems underpin every pump, compressor, safety instrumented system, and emergency shutdown function in a chemical process facility — yet they remain one of the most under-monitored and under-digitized…
Is your pump’s mechanical seal causing leaks?
Seal-less eccentric disc pumps eliminate the risk. Loading and unloading hazardous liquids from tank trucks and railcars presents significant challenges for pump technology, from mechanical seal failure to product shear and spillage. This white paper examines the operational risks…